The present invention relates generally to dental equipment used to evacuate from a patient's mouth liquids, residues, aerosols, and debris created as a by-product of many dental procedures, and more particularly to a tip used in conjunction with high volume evacuation (HVE) equipment.
Many dental procedures generate from within the patient's mouth a significant amount of infectious waste in the form of airborne fluids, or aerosols, and solid debris. It is important that this waste be captured and evacuated in order to control the biological contamination of the operatory and the well-known health risks associated therewith. In addition, the liquids and residues that collect within the patient's mouth should be continuously removed to improve the comfort of the patient, the visibility of the operating field and the integrity of the dental procedure, the latter of which is often compromised by excess moisture. Therefore, as is well known in the art, HVE systems are used to remove liquids, residues, aerosols, and debris, and these systems typically include a vacuum source, a hand held device, typically a manual valve that is connected to the vacuum source, and a tip that is removably mounted in the hand held device. In use, the dental technician holds the hand held device in a manner that inserts the HVE tip into the patients mouth, and locates the open end of the tip at the point where it will be most effective in removing the by-products generated by the particular dental procedure.
It is important that the HVE tip not be positioned where it will interfere with the dental procedure, and it is also important that the HVE tip be positioned so that it will be as comfortable as possible for both the patient and dental technician holding and manipulating the hand held device. Further, as the tip is often used to retract the patient's tongue and cheek to increase intraoral visibility and access during the procedure, it is important that the HVE tip be rigid in order to continuously exert the necessary force for retraction. Most HVE tips comprise either a tubular member that extends in a straight line that makes it generally easier for the dental technician to locate the open end of the tubular member at the exact location desired in certain dental procedures, or a tubular member that includes a rigid bend or angle to assist in properly locating the tip during other dental procedures and that improves the ergonomics and comfort of the dental technician. In either case, it is not possible to change the configuration of the HVE tip from its rigid straight or bent configuration, and it is therefore not possible for the dental technician to be able to take advantage of the straight configuration when it needed and to also be able to take advantage of the bent configuration when it would be more desirable.
Some efforts have been made to make HVE tips adjustable. For example, in Lemoine U.S. Patent Application Publication 2005/0004520, a hand held device in a HVE system is constructed to allow the end of the handheld device on which the HVE tip is located to rotate. While this arrangement makes it possible to change the rotational position of the tip relative to the hand held device, it is not possible to change the angle of the tip. In Levkowicz U.S. Pat. No. 950,109, a low volume saliva ejector is provided that permits parts of the tubular member to rotate and slide relative to one another, but the tubular member is bent at a plurality of sharp angles that inherently interferes with the smooth flow of liquid and debris therethrough, and the movable, slidable parts do not lend themselves to quickly and easily providing both a straight configuration and a right angle configuration.
Therefore, there is a need for HVE tips that are simultaneously adjustable and rigid, and that can be quickly and easily configured in either a generally straight configuration or a right angle configuration, as well as a plurality of other configurations, all of which result in a HVE tip that is easy to use and versatile in providing a variety of configurations that can be used effectively in a variety of dental procedures.